Oceans Apart on Doomsday
by ArtisteFish
Summary: She couldn't have predicted the world as she knew it would end that day; she couldn't have prepared for the physical, mental, and emotional strains of fighting to survive and having to leave so many others behind. But selfish as it was, she felt she could have handled it all better if only he hadn't called. CONTEST ENTRY
1. Chapter 1

Ocean's Apart on Doomsday

….

"Alright everyone, settle in. But don't get too comfortable."

Had it been any other day, Tea would have rolled her eyes.

Here she was with her friends, gathered in Kaiba's personal emergency bunker in the middle of some mountain range while the world outside fell to ruin, and Kaiba still couldn't find it in him to be polite.

But honestly, that just didn't matter much to her anymore.

The world was ending.

At least, that's what it felt like.

The level 10 earthquake just that morning had rocked Domino City: toppling buildings, creating fissures in the roads, and setting the town ablaze… no one was safe from it.

No one, that was, except for the small group of friends who had just happened to stop by a certain billionaire CEO's home before school that day.

They had still run into some trouble – Tea had nearly been crushed by a fallen chunk of ceiling and her arm was badly injured – but if it weren't for the mansions effective evacuation plan and troupe of helicopters, none of them would have made it out alive.

There were many they knew that weren't so lucky.

Tea felt tears pricking her eyes again, but she held them back. There would be time to grieve later. She needed to stay calm. They all did. For now they had to survive.

She looked around the quite cozy bunker, her eyes slowly adjusting to the blue light of dozens of computer screens and TV monitors which displayed the images of countless parts of the world being torn apart by all manner of natural disasters.

There were several doors around the room which, she guessed, led to additional passages in what appeared to be an entire underground compound.

She hoped one of the doors led to food storage; there was no way of knowing how long they would all be down there.

Just because this shelter was in the middle of nowhere didn't mean it was free from disaster.

The screens around the room were enough to prove that.

Suddenly a sound met her ears, faint against the hum of machines, but distinct; a ringtone.

Her phone was ringing.

She fumbled for it, reaching a bruised hand into her jacket pocket, thankful that at least that part of her coat had stayed intact.

A few large cracks marred the screen of her phone, but Tea barely noticed in her urgency to read the name and see which of her loved ones were still alive.

But there was no name, just a number. One she didn't recognize.

And the subscript under the number simply read 'Egypt'.

She stared at it for a few moments, but as the phone continued to ring, she realized this was no time to screen calls, and quickly answered.

"Hello?"

"… Tea. It – it's Marik."

She gasped loudly, alerting the other occupants in the room; the phone connection was full of static and somewhat garbled, but there was no mistaking Marik's unique voice.

"Marik! Wha – what's going on? Why…" She didn't know what else to say. Her mind was filled with questions. Why would he be calling her, and now of all times?

"I just… wanted to know how you were doing. I'm not sure what's happening over in Domino but…" she could hear him sigh heavily over the phone, "it's Hell here in Egypt right now. Fire's falling from the sky, the ground is exploding, the people have gone mad… they're fighting in the streets and killing each other over food and clothes and who knows what else. I doubt even the Shadow Realm is this bad."

Tea stared at the screens on the wall, saying "I… I can see it" as she found the station depicting the disasters in Egypt; meteors filled the sky like stars, and the desert was marked by craters and explosions.

Her eyes watered at the horror of it all.

"… See it?" Marik responded in confusion.

She started as her mind returned to the conversation. "Uh, yeah… We're in Kaiba's emergency bunker… he's got TV's hooked up, and they're broadcasting what's happening all over the world. It's… horrible."

"But… you're safe?" Tea was surprised by the softness and concern in his voice, and stuttered out "Y-yeah… I'm safe."

Marik sighed in relief, saying "Then I'm glad", and Tea was surprised by the warm blush lighting up her cheeks.

Her presence of mind seemed to return to her then, and she gasped into the phone "Well what about you? Are you safe? Do you need help?"

With a lighter tone Marik responded "I'm fine, for now. Odion, Ishizu and I are going to take shelter in the Pharaoh's Tomb… I used to hate that place so much, but now… hopefully… it will save our lives. It's lasted for 5,000 years, it should be able to make it through this."

Tea laughed softly, but there was still a twinge of doubt in her mind. "Are… are you sure you don't need help? Kaiba could send a helicopter… pick up you and your family and bring you here with us…."

Her heart began to thud in her chest, hope rising as she thought that they might be able to save some more of their friends. She didn't want anyone else to die.

But a small, tired laugh from Marik crushed that budding hope, and her heart wilted as he said "No, you don't understand: I'm here with _all_ of my family. There're more than a hundred Tomb-Keepers down there. I'm sure you don't have room for all of us, and… I don't want to leave my family."

Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she could only nod mutely, not even registering that Marik wouldn't be able to see her response.

As the emotions flooded her, she let out a small sob, gasping for breath as she tried to contain the flood of emotions.

Marik patiently waited for her on the other end.

"I'm sorry Tea."

Tea didn't bother wiping her eyes as tears streamed across her cheeks, but she managed to compose herself long enough to whisper "Why did you call me?"

She didn't mean to sound so accusing, but she almost wished he hadn't bothered… then she could have thought about him later, after the fact, when there would be nothing to be done and she could simply feel guilt at not being able to help instead of this anguish at having an opportunity to save him and being kept from taking it.

His hesitation on the other end was palpable, but she could tell he was working up an answer, so she didn't say anymore.

"I… wanted to check on you, because…" she could hear his breathing start to get louder as he worked up his courage, "I suppose I should just tell you… If I don't make it through this then you might as well know, and if I do, well… you might as well know anyways."

She waited with baited breath, wondering what on earth he could have to tell her, and why it seemed so hard for him.

"I love you Tea."

Nothing. No response. She could barely formulate a thought, let alone give him some kind of answer.

He only seemed to grow more worked up in her silence. "I… I understand if you can't answer me, if you can't… return it. After all, I… know you a lot better than you know me."

The overwhelming guilt in his voice was enough to shake her from her stupor, and she responded quickly "Marik, please… how many times do I have to tell you, I've forgiven you for that, but…."

His voice was panicked as he mimicked "But…?"

Tea clenched the phone in her hand, gripping her arm and curling in around herself as a fresh wave of tears pricked at her eyes. "How can you tell me this now?"

Marik's voice was broken, full of hurt, as he responded "I know it would have never worked, I know that… you already feel for someone else. I _barely_ deserve your forgiveness, and I _certainly_ don't deserve anything more than that – "

"Marik! Stop! Don't talk like that, not now… I…" she dropped her voice just above a whisper, continuing "It's true I did have feelings for someone else at one point, but he's gone now. And Yugi," she looked across the room at the young man, hunched at a computer, reading a list of names and hoping he wouldn't see his grandpa's, "he's my best friend in the whole world, but I still see the Pharaoh when I look at him, and… I can't bear to hurt him like that."

A shaky breath sounded over the line, and Marik barely choked out "So… what are you saying?"

She bit her lip, unable to handle the raw hope in his soulful voice which caused more tears to course down her face, leaving streaks in the dust and dirt caked on her cheeks.

"What I'm saying is… it could have worked Marik." She choked back a sob, her voice rising as she fought to talk through her tears, "It could still work. I… think I would have liked that."

Marik's breathing had grown ragged and labored as he tried to hold back sobs. "Please… please don't say that… don't tell me I could have had _another_ happy thing in life, if only…" a sob wracked through him, and he took a moment to compose himself before continuing "I already have more than I deserve, and it seems the gods agree, for they're taking most of it away from me. At least I still have my family."

"But… but it could still work… I _want_ it to work! You don't know that you're going to die! We could still help you!"

Her voice had risen close to hysterics, and the others in the bunker had started to gather around her, Yugi laying a comforting hand on her shoulder as he knelt by her side, Joey and Tristan watching her with concern.

She couldn't believe this was happening… not long ago she had wondered how she would overcome her heartbreak at the Pharaoh's departure to the afterlife, and just when an opportunity for love and healing was revealing itself to her, it was also being cruelly ripped away.

It just seemed so unfair.

Tea was starting to hear explosions in the background of the call, and suddenly another voice drifted over the connection, calling to Marik. Odion was trying to get him to safety.

She could feel the sorrow radiating from Marik at that moment, but he responded urgently, in Egyptian, and jarringly Tea realized just how far apart they were.

He was a whole continent away; a fact that hit her hard as he said softly "Tea… my place is here, with my family. In our home. I… can't be selfish anymore."

She froze, her hands cradling the phone, and she whispered "I'm sorry…" into the receiver as tenderly as she could.

She could almost see his small smile.

"Don't apologize. I'm just glad to know you're alright… now I'll be alright too."

Tea managed a smile through her tears, and offered a small sound of acceptance. She couldn't manage any more than that.

"And Tea?"

She perked up, hoping for something, anything, to help her through this. The sounds of explosions were growing ever louder in her ear.

"Thank you. I'm glad to know I had a chance – we had a chance. And I'll do my best to stay alive, so that we can take that chance together. I'm glad I got to know you, Tea Gardner."

Her vision clouded; she could barely respond. "Marik… I – "

The connection crackled and sputtered.

And then there was only silence.

For a moment she sat there, frozen on the floor, straining to hear the explosions and Marik's breathing.

But she slowly drew her hand away from her ear, and in bold letters her broken phone taunted her: 'call lost'.

She stared at it until it became a blur, and then she was on the floor: a sobbing heap, covered in dirt and scratches, the garish bruises on her now wet arms nothing compared to the bruise on her heart.

* * *

*Written for a contest on DeviantArt

The prompt was to do an artwork and/or fic depicting what your favorite Yugioh couple would be doing during the Apocalypse. It's not a very happy scenario, but once I heard it, I thought up this. I couldn't help it. It was perfect.

However, it's still really sad, and I'm not much for sad things, so I'm currently working on a little epilogue to this. With a happy ending. If you don't want the happy ending, then... just pretend the story ends here. ;P


	2. Chapter 2

Oceans Apart on Doomsday, the Sequel

(If you prefer the vague and ambiguous ending to a happier one, don't bother reading this chapter. It's not sunshine and daisies happy, but it provides a bit of closure.)

* * *

The Sahara winds roared in a seemingly never-ending sand storm, tearing across the landscape of northern Africa. It filled every crevice it could find, creating mounds of gold in the cauterized craters left by the morning's meteor shower.

"This is pointless Gardner. You don't even know where to look!"

Tea tuned out Kaiba's angry shouts; the winds made it difficult to hear, and he didn't need a response anyways.

Yugi's soft and concerned voice next to her wasn't as easy to ignore.

"Tea, maybe we should try something else. We can barely see out here, and the winds are just getting worse."

Tea listened, but kept walking forward, shielding her eyes against the wind.

"I know, but what else can we try? Kaiba traced the phone call to this area, and I don't think he could have gone too far after it cut off."

Yugi was silent for a moment, then said "Tea… what if we don't find him?"

She stumbled a bit in the sand, but aside from that kept her pace. "We will. We have to. At least… at least to know if he's alive or not. I need to know for sure."

From the corner of her eye she could see Yugi fall back, his shorter stride leaving him behind her.

She paused and turned to look at him, and his face was drawn and pensive.

"Why? Why is this so important to you?"

His tone was neither accusing nor jealous. He simply didn't understand.

Tea thought for a moment, wracking her brain for an answer; because truthfully, she didn't know why it mattered so much – why it was so important that she find Marik Ishtar.

"I… guess... he just… doesn't deserve to die, that's all."

Yugi stared levelly at her, his eyes red from the sand, saying "My grandpa didn't deserve to die either."

Tea gasped, stung as her own words came back to her.

"Oh, Yugi, I'm sorry… I didn't mean – "

"No, Tea, it's alright. I wasn't trying to make it sound like… it's just… there are so many people we know and care about who didn't deserve what happened to them. I guess what I don't understand is… what sets Marik apart from them?"

Looking down at the sandy ground under her feet, Tea thought. What did set him apart? Why was she so obsessed with making sure he was alright?

With a shrug she started "He's so different from anyone we've ever known Yugi. His whole life has been full of pain and darkness, and it seems like he's just… become used to it. He said something to me on the phone – that he didn't think he deserved the happiness he had in his life now – and I just can't let that go! No one _deserves_ to be sad all their life. It… breaks my heart to think that after finally getting his life turned around, he has to lose it all because of some freak disaster. He and his family barely had any time to be happy, and I won't stand for that."

She lifted her head to see Yugi watching her with a small smile, and as their eyes met he came forward and tightly grasped her hand.

"Always fighting for others… okay Tea, we'll keep looking."

Tea smiled and nodded shakily, rubbing at the sand that had stuck to the tracks of her tears.

She didn't say anymore, but there was so much more to say.

Yugi didn't know the extent of her conversation with Marik.

He didn't know that Marik had professed love to Tea.

And that the more she thought about, the more she felt she could love him in return.

She had been afraid to face him after the events of Battle City – not because of what he had done (he was a changed man now) but because of what he saw inside her mind and inside her heart.

Her will was weaker than Joey's. She hadn't been able to drive him out. He had latched on to the negative feelings harbored inside her – jealously, anger, … selfishness – and had been able to convince her in her mind that she could not fight. That she was useless. That she was not worth the effort to save.

Her mind knew that these were not true… her heart was not as easily convinced.

She had always been prey to her heart.

But then he called, and worried about her safety, and told her he loved her… despite all he had seen inside her, he loved her.

And she needed to know why – to know what it was he saw. To know how he couldn't despise her.

She hid her follies so well she thought; her friends seemed unaware that she had faults at all.

Yugi seemed to think she was an angel.

She couldn't bring herself to accept such praise.

But if Marik, who had spent so long inside her mind, could love her enough to spend what could have been his last minutes alive to tell her so, then perhaps he could see something she couldn't.

And so she trudged on, aching to find the strange young man and sort out her heart in the process.

"Hey… what's that up there?"

Tea was roused from her thoughts at Yugi's question, and jerked her head to see what the young man was pointing at.

About a hundred feet or so ahead of them was a structure, small and low and hard to see through the sand; Tea couldn't be sure she wasn't hallucinating.

Nevertheless, she quickened her pace and headed for the dark shape in the distance, Yugi jogging to keep up with her.

As they got closer, certain details were becoming clearer – the structure was stone and circular and looked like ruins, but whether that was because of age or due to the meteors they couldn't be sure.

And there was something else by the structure; something huddled against the side.

It looked to be nothing more than a bundle of cloth, but then it moved, and Tea's breath caught in her throat.

A person!

"Hello!"

The sand stuck in her throat as she yelled, and for a split second she wondered if it was really safe to call out to strangers in the desert, but the thought didn't last long - she had more important things to worry about.

The figure stirred and lifted its head, which was wrapped in cloth to keep out the sand, with only a thin opening around the eyes.

Whoever it was stayed still for a moment watching the newcomers, but suddenly stood, casting aside a worn blanket which was quickly lost in the sand.

Tea barely had a moment to register how familiar that frame and those khaki cargos were before the person pulled the shawl from their face, revealing sandy blonde hair that blew about in the wind around the dark face of Marik Ishtar.

He stood there, frozen, and Tea found she couldn't move either.

Even the desert wind seemed stilled.

As the sand cleared from view, Tea could clearly see the shock and disbelief etched across his face, but her own expression was quite different.

Her sand-scratched eyes stung as tears washed over them and ran down her cheeks, shining like gold in the orange glow of the lowering sun as her lips quirked into a smile.

She laughed then; as inappropriate as such a sound was for such a day in history, she actually laughed, loud and bright.

Marik jumped as the sound reached his ears, prompting him out of his stupor as he took a few tentative steps forward.

"You-you're real! You're not a mirage!"

She laughed again, but it was subdued by the sound of his broken, hoarse voice.

With her smile faltering she started towards him, slowly, her feet dragging in the mounds of sand before her, and he took a few steps as well, mirroring her movements.

With each step she gained more confidence, her excitement growing; soon she was running towards him, tripping through the sand, and he was running towards her as well.

Before she knew it she had reached him, and he caught her about the waist as they collided, stumbling backwards as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Their lips were chapped and her mouth was dry and all she could taste was sand, but she kissed him hard and long, pouring all of her emotions into the action, and his arms around her were so tight she was sure he would snap her in two with much more.

* * *

*Author's Note:

And… that's where I'm gonna end it for now.

It took me forever to even be satisfied with _this_ much of the sequel chapter.

And I'm on hiatus from June 2013 to December 2014, so… any feedback or requests for more are not gonna do any good until that time is up.

Of course you're more than welcome to leave the feedback now and just be patient until I get back. :3


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